Episode #304- Josh Baca

Summary

Podcast Summary: HVAC Masters of the Hustle - Episode #304 featuring Josh Baca

Introduction

In Episode #304 of HVAC Masters of the Hustle, host JDubMoneyMaker sits down with special guest Josh Baca to delve deep into Josh's transformative journey within the HVAC industry. Released on March 11, 2025, this episode builds upon their previous conversation in Episode #170, showcasing Josh's remarkable growth, resilience, and strategies that have propelled him to the top 1% in his field.

Guest Background and Journey

Josh Baca opens up about his significant transition over the past two years, highlighting his move from Denver, Colorado, to the Springs to join forces with mentor Weldon Long (Wally) at Peak HVAC. This partnership has been instrumental in his professional growth and success.

“It's been wild, bro. Just like you've been busy non-stop grinding. It's the same thing over here.” [03:47]

Josh recounts the initial nervousness of meeting Wally and the immediate connection they formed during their first meeting at The Broadmoor.

“We just clicked immediately. And so we knew it was gonna, we knew it was a perfect fit.” [04:22]

Mentorship and Leadership

A pivotal aspect of Josh's success is his relationship with Wally Long, a seasoned leader in the HVAC industry. Wally's ability to position individuals in roles where they can excel has been a game-changer for Josh.

“He knows how to put people in the right positions. Like, he's a master of that.” [04:22]

Josh emphasizes the importance of having supportive people around who recognize your potential and encourage you to take risks.

“That's the importance of having good people around you too, who really know who you are.” [05:35]

Overcoming Personal Hardships

Josh shares his challenging upbringing, including being placed in over 35 foster homes and the emotional turmoil that ensued. Despite these obstacles, he managed to rebuild his life from scratch within a decade, demonstrating immense resilience.

“Imagine building a life... from nothing. So just imagine take away the family, take away your cars, take away the business, your podcast, and all you have is an ID and 35 bucks to your name, literally. And say, go. And in 10 years be back to where you're at now.” [17:33]

His experience with adversity fuels his drive to succeed and serve as an inspiration to others facing similar struggles.

Sales Strategies and In-Home Sales Process

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on Josh's sales methodologies and his approach to in-home sales. He outlines the importance of executing sales processes with integrity, listening more, and maintaining confidence.

“It's about how you execute on that call. That's it.” [25:25]

Josh also touches upon handling setbacks in sales, advocating for maintaining a short-term memory to quickly move past unsuccessful calls and focus on future opportunities.

“You just have to get good at shaking that off, man.” [23:07]

Personal Growth and Continuous Learning

Josh attributes much of his growth to his humble attitude and willingness to learn continuously. Despite his success, he remains a perpetual student, always seeking to refine his skills and strategies.

“I'm the same dude. I'm the same dude. When I was, my wife met me as a tune-up technician changing filters for a living.” [20:53]

He underscores the value of humility and learning from everyone, regardless of their position, to foster both personal and professional development.

Future Plans and Vision

Looking ahead, Josh aims to scale new heights by mentoring others, expanding his influence, and possibly authoring books to share his insights. While ambitious, he remains cautious, recognizing the intense grind that comes with higher levels of success.

“I'm just not pressing so hard to get there because I see now, I see what you go through, I see what Wally goes through. And it is no joke, so might as well just enjoy the ride, let it unfold organically.” [28:49]

Josh envisions himself helping others achieve greatness, leveraging his experiences and mentorship to foster a new generation of HVAC professionals.

Building an Empire and Community

Josh passionately discusses the importance of building a strong team and fostering a sense of family within his company. He believes that diverse backgrounds within his team contribute to its strength and adaptability.

“Everyone on my team now, some of them might be green, but I'm so proud of this team because each one of them comes from different backgrounds and brings a whole different set of things.” [21:15]

He highlights H VAC as a great equalizer, where success is determined by execution and not by one's background.

“Nothing you've done in your past matters when you step out of the truck to walk into that home for that call.” [21:15]

Inspiring Others Through Adversity

Towards the end of the episode, Josh offers words of encouragement to listeners facing their own battles, emphasizing the importance of self-belief and resilience.

“Just have that short term memory. I've been in some dark, dark places. Just pitch black. But I didn't throw in that towel.” [33:20]

He urges individuals to remember their worth, stay focused on their goals, and seek support within their community.

Conclusion

Episode #304 of HVAC Masters of the Hustle offers a profound look into Josh Baca's journey from adversity to success in the HVAC industry. Through mentorship, relentless perseverance, and a commitment to continuous learning, Josh exemplifies what it takes to rise to the top. His story serves as an inspiration to listeners, demonstrating that with the right mindset and support, overcoming life's challenges is entirely possible.

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Notable Quotes:

• “It's been wild, bro. Just like you've been busy non-stop grinding. It's the same thing over here.” — Josh Baca [03:47]

• “We just clicked immediately. And so we knew it was gonna, we knew it was a perfect fit.” — Josh Baca [04:22]

• “That's the importance of having good people around you too, who really know who you are.” — Josh Baca [05:35]

• “Imagine building a life... from nothing.” — Josh Baca [17:33]

• “It's about how you execute on that call. That's it.” — Josh Baca [25:25]

• “I'm the same dude. I'm the same dude. When I was, my wife met me as a tune-up technician changing filters for a living.” — Josh Baca [20:53]

• “Just have that short term memory. I've been in some dark, dark places. Just pitch black. But I didn't throw in that towel.” — Josh Baca [33:20]

Key Takeaways:

• Mentorship Matters: Building relationships with experienced leaders like Wally can significantly impact career trajectories.
• Resilience is Crucial: Overcoming personal hardships fosters the strength needed to excel in challenging industries.
• Continuous Learning: Staying humble and open to learning ensures ongoing personal and professional growth.
• Community and Team Building: Creating a supportive and diverse team environment enhances overall success.
• Focus and Adaptability: Maintaining focus on goals while adapting to setbacks is essential for sustained achievement.

Listeners are encouraged to connect with Josh Baca on Facebook for mentorship and further networking opportunities, embodying the spirit of hustle and mutual support that defines the HVAC Masters of the Hustle community.

Transcript

[A]

This is H Vac Masters of the Hustle with your host, Jacob Moneymaker.

[B]

Looking at the city like I already own it. Hustler.

[A]

What is up? You are listening to H Vac Masters of the Hustle podcast and here's your host, J Dub Moneymaker. And welcome to episode 304. And first off, I gotta say, this podcast is brought to you by Nuva Thermostat. This thermostat is made by the contractor for the contractor. What it does is brand awareness and it keeps and retains your clientele in your database so your competitors don't get them and pluck them from you. Right. And we got some big speaking events going on. I'll be in Las Vegas at RILLA next week, Monday and Tuesday. Excited to network, meet you all. Following week, I will be going to Orlando, Florida at Disney World, speaking at Epic Egia. I'm super excited to be networking at that event as well. So if you guys are going to be in Las Vegas at rilla, you're going to be at Epic. Come join forces with me. Let's talk, let's communicate. And I am excited for this episode because I had this guest back on episode 170 and I got to tell you all, when I go do on site trainings, it is not a norm of mine to make such a deep connection with an individual. And if you missed episode 170, out of 304 podcasts, I've never cried in my life while recording a podcast Till this one episode. You talk about, you know, obstacles, challenges, hurdles, fear, being pulled, ripped apart, spat on the bottom of the bottom. The low, the low. Any excuse possible, this man has made it out. He is a good friend of mine. And not only just a good friend of mine, but a brother of mine. Let's go ahead and welcome the one, the only, Mr. Josh Becca into the hot seat.

[B]

Let's go, Jada. What's up, man?

[A]

Dude, I am so excited. First off, for those of you that have not listened to episode 170, like I said, Josh drops fire, he drops bombs. But this episode is episode number two of what we are going to talk about. Because the last year and a half, two years that you were on the podcast, man, a lot's changed. You were working for a different company in Colorado. Now, the last couple years, you've been trained by my mentor, Mr. Weldon Long. Wally at peak. You've been through an acquisition with Wally as well. You've been able to buy your dream truck, like have things that you were never even thought fathom you know of having. And now you own it. So, Josh.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Thank you for being in the hot seat, brother. Thank you for making the time to be on this podcast because as you know, man, we got listeners all across the nation that might need to listen to your story or, or have how you became to this success. So talk about real quick, the last two years, what's changed for you, man?

[B]

It's. It's been wild, bro. Just like you've been busy non stop grinding. It's. It's the same thing over here. A lot's changed. So my wife and I, we moved down here to the Springs like you said. I came and joined Wally. Been wanting to do that for a while. Him and I had been talking. I was almost a little nervous to go join him.

[A]

But you were nervous to meet him the first time. I know, I remember you're like, dude.

[B]

It took forever to meet him.

[A]

And then you met him and you're like, man, I went to the, what was the golf place? The Broadmoor.

[B]

Yeah, we went down to the Broadmoor. I went down and hung out with him. And man, we just clicked immediately. And so we knew, we knew it was gonna, we knew it was a perfect fit. And you know, Wally, he's. Man, he knows how to. He knows how to put people in the right positions. Like, he's a master of that. So he, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. I, I knew I wanted to get down there. We made it happen. And, and that's, that's what's been going on. Like you said, there wasn't. He. He acquired another company. So his company basically grew, doubled. And then, and then there was another. There was a sale of that company. And. And now he's, he's still involved. I was talking to him this morning, but yeah, it's, you know, he put me in position and then we just started grinding. We just started putting in work.

[A]

Let me ask you, working with Weldon Long, you know, because at first it was just a vision of yours. You didn't even know who he was. And then you left Denver, Colorado, you met him, you moved up to the Springs. Talk about, first off, fear. Okay? Because you were at a great establishment, you were being a comfort advisor, you were selling a lot. But all of a sudden you made this change, which was uncomfortable, and you moved.

[B]

No, that's right. That's exactly what it was. I was in a comfortable position. And that was the hardest part, fighting against that comfort, you know, and, and it almost got to the point to where I was like, we had been talking about it, we're starting to manifest it, and then, you know, nothing was really going on. And so it's real easy to just be comfortable and stay where you're at. But then I had a couple people that were close to me that have seen me never be scared to move to that next level. And they said, hey, what, you know, what's up? Are you, are you, are you still gonna, is this still gonna happen? And I'm like, I don't know. I mean, I mean, it might. They're like, what? Make that happen? Like, these are people close to me. And I needed just that little bit of a push. So that's the importance of having good people around you too, who really know who you are. Because if they see you fall back, they're gonna let you know and say, hey, nah, come on, you need, you need to, you need to jump on that. And it was nerve wracking. But dear Lord, thank God I did because again, it was just, it's the best move. It was the best move ever.

[A]

Going from, real quick, going from the company you were at in Denver, going to the Colorado Springs. What was the transition? Like, what was the difference? Because I, if, if I'm correct, right prior to going to Peak, that was the only H VAC company you worked for?

[B]

No, I had.

[A]

No.

[B]

Okay, now I had been at Plumb Line and see, that's. I was at Plumb Line for a little while and that's when I originally heard of Wally because that I was trying to get into sales and I couldn't really push through. And they had given me some training and it was Wally's training. And I started studying that, like, back and forth. It was DVDs. And then I kind of heard something that he had written some books. So I started reading his books and, and I was like, what? And when I heard his background and how it tied into my background, I was like, no, that's crazy. And then I heard he was from Colorado.

[A]

Full circle, man.

[B]

Yeah. And I was like, this, this is insane. So I was like, then, from right then and there, I was like, this was like 2016, 2017. And I was like, I'm going to find this dude. I'm going to figure out how to get on his radar. And so that's how it started. Like, I just, I barely started. I was new to Facebook and all that, so I started just tagging him on some, on some, on some posts that he would do and just, you know, just liking some of his posts. And he Come he comment back. And then pretty soon I started shooting him some of my numbers, like DMing him. And he was like, man, those are good numbers. He's like, hey, if you ever come to Colorado, you should hit me up. And I'm like, bro, I'm income. I'm in Colorado, I'm from here. And he was like, what? I'm like, yeah, I'm from here. So then it was like trying to. Trying to set up an actual phone call. And so I emailed his people. So we were emailing back for a while and I remember I was running a call and we had a scheduled phone conversation. So this was a big phone conversation. I was going to talk to him live, right? And so I'm driving back to my house and it was getting time for me to hop on the call and I was like, I'm not going to make it. So I pull over and I'm in my work van. And we jump on the call throughout the course of the conversation. And we hit it off immediately. But through the course of the conversation, I said, hey, man, are you in your car? And he goes, yeah, I'm driving to the airport from the Springs. I was like, are you going to dia? And he goes, yeah. I go, where are you at right now? And he told me where he was at. And I was like, damn. He was about to get on 470, and I was pulled off to the side. So I knew he was about to pass me, he was going to go past me. He was probably a mile to where I was at. I said, hey, check this out. And about a mile, look to your left, about maybe 800 yards to your left. And he was like, all right. So I get out of my van, I jump up onto the van, I'm on the side of the highway and waving him down like this. And he's like. And the big old 888van was on the side. And he was like. He's like, damn, is that you? And I'm like, that's me right there. And he was like, that's crazy. And I said, check this out, Wally. When. When I eventually write a book, would you put in. Would you do the forward to my book and put this moment in there? And he's like, I'd be honored to. The only thing I ask is there's going to come a day when somebody reaches out to you for a hand up. You just make sure you. You pull their hand up too. And I was like, bet you don't even got to say that. That's that's the type of stuff I do.

[A]

And that's what I like right there is. Is Wally's that character that he's never been, a leader that knocks you down for your success. He's always wanting you to better. Hey, if I'm willing to better you, you need to go better someone else, too. That's what makes a great leader. That's what makes a great mentor.

[B]

But what made it crazy, we. We solidified it. We. We made it. We made plans. We knew I was going to come over, but he hyped me up so much. He's like, I got this cat from Denver coming. I mean, he. And it. That's the part I was like, damn it, Wally, man. He put.

[A]

Let me ask you a quick. Did he hype you up because he believed in you and you didn't believe in yourself? You didn't see the hype at that point?

[B]

No, he. He knew what I was gonna do. But that's how Wally is. He'll. If he sees it and he's like, yeah, this dude's got it. He's gonna. He's gonna amplify it. He's got that personality, he's got that charisma, and he's got that platform. So when he came to his team, he. He was like. He was like, josh, you're the spark. You're the spark that we need. You're about to spark this entire team. Because he. He knew I was on some. Some other. On some other. On. On another level. And he was like, I need you to come in and act as a spark plug, so I'm going to put you in a position. He didn't tell me how he's going to do it. He just said that this is what. This is my plan for you. And I was like, all right, cool that I'm. I'm about that, so let's do it. And then. But what little did I know, he was put. He was. He was letting him know. He's like, yeah. So. So I arrive and everyone is just like, coming to me, just bomb. And I was like, damn. So now I'm thinking, oh, damn it. Now it's live in the paint. Like, there. There is no option but to blow the doors off this thing. And that. That's what I did. I started breaking records, like monthly records and just. Just breaking records for the company, but I had no choice. So I was driving from Denver to the Springs and back. Right.

[A]

Just to let you all know, that's about hour and a half drive.

[B]

Yeah. Dude, it's. And, and the thing is, so you drive down there, right, Have a meeting, then you run three calls and now you're driving back. So there'd be times where I call my wife on the way back in, in snowstorms or rainstorms, right. Going up that monument pass. And I call my wife and I'm like, just stay on the phone with me. She's like, what's up? I go, I'm so exhausted. I'm like punching myself in the face. Window down, getting snow and trying to stay awake. I'd walk in the door and collapse, jump up and go do it again. And, and it was non stop. And I think one month, I put up like 400 and some thousand in one month. And it was a, it was like in the slow season too. And everyone was just like, but what they didn't see, this guy's crazy. And so, but, and it was, it wasn't the busy season. So that was what was so impactful. But I knew I had no choice but to put on a demonstration. And he knew, he put me in that. And you know, and it was just like, you're either going to do this or not. And. And that's exactly what I did. And then, and then that's when I told my wife. I was like, would you, would you move with me to the Springs? Let's get down there. I can't do this drive and, and, and perform on that level with that drive going to kill me. And she was like, no, I'm down. Springs is beautiful. So we made the move. And as soon as we did that, it was just time to go to work. And so now if you ever touch down, you come to the Springs and you come over, you'll see, you know how we're living now and just the company, bro. It's just, it's the company, man. I tell people, it ain't me, it's the vehicle I'm in now. You know, he knew he had a race car driver. He just needed to put me in a certain race car.

[A]

Nice. And so one thing that you just mentioned was the importance of manifesting too right? You, you envision like you saw Wally's training videos and you said, I'm gonna meet this guy, somehow I'm gonna find him. You were able to, not only were you able to find him and meet him, you got outside your comfort zone and asked for a position or was offered a position, took that leap of faith.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

So talk about real quick manifesting.

[B]

So it's, it's all about manifesting, man. You, you have to have that deep belief and that drive and then you got to have the cojones to put in the work and do it. And, and it's crazy because from this date right here, May 17, 2015, when I finally touched back down till now, I knew what I wanted to do and everything I pointed at that I said I was gonna do. It's crazy. My wife talks about this. She saw me do every single thing I set out to do. She's seen me do it. So she knows point blank that if I speak on it, she knows I'm gonna make it happen. Like to the T. Like as soon as I saw the videos and I figured out who Wally was, I was like, watch this. And everything I said happened, like I literally step by step, month after month, finally just made it happen. And, and that, I mean that, that's what it's about, you know. So I so manifestation. That's. It's a fact. It is a fact. People have seen you.

[A]

You've had the. Yeah. I mean not just in H Vac though, but life in life. I mean you had to manifest your life from a young, young age infant being in the adoption system. Right. The. Or whatever, being judged all the time. I think you and I talked on the Last episode podcast. 170. You were placed in how many homes as a child growing up?

[B]

Well, I was adopted originally and then the adoption collapsed or they, they called it. The adoption failed. So I got put back into the system and it was a rough process to just to the adoption part. I was getting torn away from my siblings. So then I was adopted. Loving parents for a long time, but they split up and then that whole thing just disintegrated out of thin air like. And I was just basically abandoned and given to the state. And so I was state racial. About 35 separate placements.

[A]

35.

[B]

34 or 35 placements. Group homes, foster homes, you know, shelters. It was just. And then somehow managed to keep pushing forward like you said, had a million reasons to go off the rails. And at one point I did go off the rails, but that. And that's a whole nother story. But came back from that colossal collapse on that date. So for the last. I've only been back for like 10 years, but in that 10 years, that's the crazy part from, from being back and starting from scratch. Imagine building a life. The, the life that I'm living now B. Building that in a 10 year period from nothing. So just imagine take away the family, take away your cars, take away the business, your podcast, and all you have is an ID and 35 bucks to your name, literally. And say, go. And in 10 years be back to where you're at now. I know you could do it. I know you could. And I know you know I could. There's certain people could do that, but that's, that's most.

[A]

Most can't.

[B]

Most can't, bro. It's just too, too much of a mountain to climb.

[A]

And I want to let everyone know. You know, when Josh is talking about his struggles, not only was he in 30 something placements and homes growing up, but he talks about, you know, having that mentor with Wally and being that story. Well, Josh was incarcerated.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, you, when you talk about you've only had 10 years of pretty much being able to build something because everything was taken from you.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Talk about the building of the empire that you're doing right now. Because I think a lot of people are listening to this. I got 52 people that are listening to this episode right now, and one of them might be struggling or might have just came out of being incarcerated, you know, especially in the trades and industry that we're in.

[B]

So what happened was after, when I turned 18 and I emancipated, there was so much trauma that happened that I didn't get a chance to digest or even, even wrap my head around. And it hit me like a brick wall. So in the midst of trying to live and figure stuff out, I started having to deal with that. I didn't deal with it right. I. I embraced a victim mentality. Like, this happened to me. How, you know, how could that happen to me? I knew deep inside there was greatness, but damn, all this happened to me and I was stuck in that mentality. And you don't make good decisions when you're in that mentality because you're looking for outside things to make it right. And this is what resonated with Wally's story, because he went away and he admits it, he was basically just messing up. Right. But when his father passed, something clicked and he started owning everything from right there. So when I went away and this is before I ever knew about Wally, something clicked for me. I read a ton of books and something clicked the second that I took total ownership for all the good, the bad and the ugly, all of it. I just owned responsibility for all of it. Even if it wasn't my fault, I took it. That's when it all changed. Because once you own it now, you can change it. And so I had a mission. Just like he was on a mission. I was on a mission in there. So when I got out, I knew I was going to be destined for greatness. I didn't know what it was going to look like exactly, but I knew it. And then so I started on that mission. And so when I heard about Wally's story, that's when I was like, damn, this is crazy because now I bumped into this cat. I found out about him and he actually did everything, lived through the same stuff that I just lived through and look at the success. And I was like, that was just instantaneous proof that I was on the right path. And that's when I was like, so with or without him, I would have, I would have succeeded. But I wanted to get to him and say, man, watch this, I'm coming. You did it. I know I'm about to do it. And that's when we were like, let's just join forces and just do it together.

[A]

I love it. I love it. You know, one thing that I really like about you is your ego is not your amigo. Right? You have no ego in you. You're very humble. But also you're always a student.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You're always willing to learn and grow. You're not better than a warehouse guy. Right. And you understand that a lot of people think they're better than the next person. Or hey, maybe a green guy comes in I can't learn from. But to me, when I travel and I meet people, I can learn from everyone. And I think that's what also makes you extremely successful is being a student.

[B]

A thousand percent man. It's. I'm the same dude. I'm the same dude. When I was, my wife met me as a tune up technician changing filters for a living. She literally. And, and I'm that same dude. I had the same drive back then, I have the same friends back then that we all met in H Vac. They're still my homies to this day. And they, and we're just the same. We're the exact same. We're just been on a mission. And so now you see what comes from that level of consistency. That's, that's all any of this is. But it, you know, everyone on my team now, some of them might be green, but I'm so proud of this team because each one of them comes from different backgrounds and brings a whole different set of things. They may not be where, where I'm at right now, but they're easily going to be to where I'm at and probably past me, these, these kids from way all different kinds of backgrounds and. But we're all, like I said in the last podcast, H Vac is the great equalizer because when you're out in that field or running calls and, or talking with homeowners, bro, you're just another dude, man. You're, you're. No, they don't know your background. They don't know the, the mountain you've climbed. You have to just bring that a game or not. They're choosing you over five, six different companies. Why you. You got to bring that greatness. And nothing you've done in your past matters when you step out of the truck to walk into that home for that call. None of it. Only thing that matters is how you execute on that call. That's it. That's what I love about H Vac. So it's humbling because there's days where you get your teeth kicked in.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then there's other days where you're like, damn, boy.

[A]

What do you do when you get your teeth kicked in? I mean, what do you do to reset, recharge?

[B]

Yeah, you just, you know, you got to get good at, at shaking that off, man.

[A]

You really got short term memory.

[B]

You got to have short term. You say it all the time, but it is so true. It's. The times where I didn't have short term memory were the only times where it's, it's the lowest times. But as soon as you get that short term memory, it's, it's so lovely. So what you do, you can start building things into your process to help you forget about that. Like, remember, you were like, josh, start collecting testimonials. I got a book full of handwritten testimonials. I have video testimonials now and then. Now we see numbers that are getting hit on a yearly basis. So those things, you could get in a truck and just totally get smashed in the, in the house where they just. You get your teeth kicked in and then you just get in and then you just remember who the hell you are and you're like, you know, so there'd be days where I just start reading through some of my testimonials and you know, the people that are like, man, it was so amazing working with this person. This is what he did for us. This guy was a total, absolute professional. He discovered so many solutions. He did more than anybody that came to my. And then you're like, okay, that's who I am. So that. That bad call, it's nothing. You're going to get more of those, and now they just become nothing. You just roll through them.

[A]

Yeah, no, I agree with you on that. One thing I want to talk about is what does Josh's process look like in a house? So when you go in there, you're there for an estimate. Walk me through what that process looks like for the customer. Engagement and experience, bro.

[B]

It's. It's the same process that every one of your students, every one of Wally's students, every one of Drew Cameron students, everyone at Cunningham students. It's all a version of the same process. It's just. Are you executing it with your whole heart, integrity, and your spirit? Because the homeowner sees it, bro. Because every. So. So it's the same processes. Right. We could dive into the processes. Right. H vac 101 sales in home sales. We could start getting into it. You know, the shoe covers all, you know, step by step greeting the client. But really what. It starts to come down once, you know, probably most of your listeners probably have the 101s down.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So what they're trying to get a hold of is how to start executing on a higher level. So I'm the same dude just now, much more polished. And what comes with that is more successes, more confidence. And then what you actually start to do is start to tone it down and you start listening more.

[A]

And that was. That was your biggest problem, too, year and a half ago. Two years ago, when we were doing on sites, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I sat down with you so many times. I said, josh, you just got to take a step back and listen, dude, because you're a talker. You like to talk, but your skills, just to let you know, have been so. So polished the last two years, bro. Like, I can tell.

[B]

Yeah. They're. They're coming along. And you. You can see it. I laugh because I'll. I'll go into homes, Jason, and close deals, and I'll come home and I'll tell my wife. Yeah, there's no way I would have closed that even a year and a half ago. There's no way they would have ate me alive. If that was that Josh Baca, that version, that level, I would have got smashed, you know, so. So when I listened to our podcast today, you know, from the episode 170, and I was listening to my numbers at the end, and I was so excited and proud, bro. And I'm listening to him now going, dang that, you know, because now I'm seeing where I'm at. So it's. It's. It's crazy, but back then, for me, I was super excited. Just like today, I'm super excited with my numbers. But then I'll call my buddy at Next gen who's doing 10 million a year, and. And then. And he's a great mentor, and. And then I just get humbled, and I'm like. And I just turn right back into that student that's like. Like this big. And I'm just like, well, tell me what you would do in this situation. And Mark will. He'll start breaking it down. And I'm like, damn. And then that's when I realized there's so many levels to it. You know what I mean? There's so many levels. But. But that's what you said is true. Just starting to realize where you're at in the process. It's humbling, but it's empowering at the same time. It's empowering because you see how far you've come and now how. How many different homeowners you can. You can start to relate with and really listen to and find that niche and then close it. And then you're also seeing, okay, the ones that I didn't get, oh, there's levels to this. Why didn't I get that one? Don't dwell on it, but at least examine it a little bit and say, well, maybe a Brent Buckley, he would have got that. You know, maybe a Mark Van Valen, he would have nailed that one. Jason Walker would have closed that one. And so how would they have done it? So I know there's still levels to it to this day. I was talking to Wally this morning, just getting some of his advanced closes. I have good ones, but I still wanted to kind of get some more. And he's. To this day, he's a beast. He's got some jest. He does this, bro. This is what he does. So I was talking to him, and I'm like, dang. And he's sending some over to me on. On. On. On. On Voice to text. And I'm listening to him while I'm driving, and I'm like, damn. There's just so many levels to it, to this day. That's what makes it fun. It makes it fun.

[A]

I. I love it. You know, and watching your growth of where you started, where you've become, like, just the challenges and the struggles is just absolutely amazing. What's next for Josh? I mean, where do you see yourself? What's your goal for 2025. What's your goal for the next five years?

[B]

Yeah, so I'm running marketed leads. My goal this year is to try to hit 4.8 million, so I'm gunning for it. And I haven't not hit a goal since I started doing this, so I'm aiming for that. Numbers wise, there's that goal. Every once in a while, you know, we get some tech turns sprinkled in there, but these are pretty much marketed leads, and that's what it is. And to me, that's. That's the trenches. So I got mad respect for anybody running those, but I don't. I don't know. I was always chomping at the bit, and I'd be asking Wally, I'm like, look, I want to get on stages. I want to. I want to help people on a bigger level. I want to. I want to consult with people. I want to train. And he was like, man. He goes, I'll tell you what I told Jason. Be careful what you wish for. He goes, josh, for the first three weeks, you're living out of a suitcase. You're flying to these different places. And he goes in, and it's. After that, it's just a mega grind. And I told him, bro, I'm built for this, so let's go. And he's just like, josh, please be careful what you ask. Because he knows if I keep pressing, I'm gonna get to wherever I want to go. He's just like, slow down, enjoy the ride, because as soon as you're there. So I don't really know. I kind of just backed off and just trust the process and, and like, situations like this where you get a little bit more and more national exposure. I'm networking with more and more people are. Are getting at me on. On Facebook. Wally's got some things in the future planned that he wants to start shooting me out to. You know, we're getting people coming down all the time riding along with me. So I think they're going to start shooting me out to Vegas and a couple other different places within our region, and I'm going to get to meet some other sales teams, some other top performers and. And start helping these guys now. So just transitioning into helping people on different levels. I know I got at least two, maybe three books in me, so there's a lot of things still to come, and it's exciting. I'm just not pressing so hard to get there because I see now, I see what you go through, I see what Wally goes. And it Is no joke, so might as well just enjoy the ride, let it unfold organically. But there's some big things coming. I can't even really tell you because I don't even know what they're going to be like. If you called me and said, josh, we're going to fly you out here. This is what we're going to. I'm down, you know, if So I just. As things go, they go. And when they come, I'll be ready for them. And until then, I'm just going to keep trying to get better. And that's all you can control, is you and the day. That's it. So I try to crush that. I try to be the best me every day. My whole team, my whole company, everyone I talk to, I love them all. I embrace them. They're all my family. Everybody from top to bottom, you know, and, and, and I'm just honored to be with them on an everyday basis. I'm honored to be in this trade, bro. Just like when I heard.

[A]

Has this trade changed your life?

[B]

Changed my life. It's. I hear Wally tell it all the time. He's like, everything I have, I owe to this, to H Vac in this trade. And when he says that, it resonates because I couldn't even say it any better than that. Any better than that. So I try to tell people that are looking for that second chance in life or just a chance, period. H Vac is an amazing trade because whatever you put in, you're going to get that out. So if you got a monster grind to put into something, H Vac is a nice place to go because you're going to get monster returns on that grind. And I've always had a monster grind. Just. That's just who I am, built for that. So I love this trade because now you get, you get back. There's times where you're in places where you're just not getting back what you're putting in. And it can be disheartening. But I never, ever, even when I was in those places, I never gave up. I just found a place to. Where now it comes back.

[A]

Yeah, in a big way. I love it. Josh, as we're ending this episode, I mean, I could go and talk with you all day, man, but, you know, as we're settling down, we got listeners all across the nation, all obstacles and challenges of life. What would you say to that one person right now listening? That is in a dark season in life, man.

[B]

Just have that short term memory. I've been in some dark, dark places. Just pitch black. But I didn't throw in that towel. So when it comes time to throw in that towel, man, just step back, go look in the mirror, and remember. Remember who the fuck you really are and what. What kind of mark are you going to leave and then get back out there and. And put on a demonstration? So sometimes you got to check yourself, and if you have to do it, just do it. Get down, get. Take a long, hard look in the mirror and check yourself hard. And then get back out. And you'll see. You'll see when you look back, you'll see the progress. You know what I'm saying? So you're not alone. Wally's been there, Jason, you've been there. You've been through some rough stuff recently, and I'll leave it at that. But my heart, my. My wife and I, our hearts just went out to you, but you kept driving. And I'm like, that's why. That's why I got mad love for you, bro, Just. Just from that. That type of heart, that. That's what it is. So if you're in this trade, you got heart already. Just don't forget. Don't forget that you have, because you got dudes like you, Wally, Drew, Gary, all these guys that are.

[A]

Josh, you're one of them.

[B]

Thank you, brother.

[A]

Come on, now.

[B]

Thank you, brother. Yeah, just don't forget. Don't forget, because we're not going to forget about you. We're here with you. We're here with you.

[A]

I love it. I love it, man. I can't wait till the next episode that we have together, Episode three. But one thing that. That you want to do is you envision that you want to be a trainer. That's something, Something that you want to do. Build a platform. I got 91 views right now on this podcast that are live right now. How can these people reach out to you if they want mentorship, if they want to just talk about their story, your story, a little bit deeper, man.

[B]

Get at me. I'm on Facebook and I've been networking like crazy. People DM me all the time. I was talking to new people today that I just met, and we just started sharing little bits and pieces of our lives, and. And it's all positive. And anybody, anyone on my team, anybody, just like, I reached out to Wally and. And. And started DMing him. You know, he answers, people answer. So find me on Facebook, Josh Buck, I'm on Facebook, and just message me, man. Add me as a friend, and let's let's. Let's network together and let's chop it up. I tell anybody on my team, I'm like, anytime you call me or you want to come over, let's. Let's chop it up. Some people do. They reach out and they come. Some people don't. I don't know why, but if you reach out, I'm right. I'm right here. I'm right here.

[A]

Love it. Well, until next time, y'all. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this episode of H Vac Masters of the Hustle, as Josh dropped fire and bombs. And I love watching your growth, and I can only imagine what it's going to look like for you the next couple years, because I do envision you being on stage, being one of the top condensed contenders in the H Vac industry. Like you said, the wall of fame, baby. Until next time.